I first met Doran Ross in the late 1970s, when he and UCSB Professor of African Art Herbert M. (Skip) Cole were working on The Arts of Ghana book at the home of the late George R. Ellis, then associate director of what became the Fowler Museum of Cultural History at UCLA. I was bringing a large live lobster I had just caught over to George and Nancy's to cook for their dinner. Even seated, Doran had an undeniable presence—he was large, he was obviously smart and plenty affable, and only later did I learn that he had refused Skip's many enticements towards getting another degree after his Masters! “The Doctor,” as I liked to call him, and I ultimately became great collaborators and best pals.
In 1981, after my Arts of Kenya show had opened at the Smithsonian and begun to travel under the auspices of WAAM (Western Association...